Current web-based application systems typically perform data caching based on a timeout scheme or according to some other type of lifetime-based logic. In other words, there is usually a fixed amount of time after which a cached web-based component or object is refreshed, regardless of whether the component or object actually changes before the end of the time period. Thus, current systems based on such timeout and lifetime-based logic typically force updates to cached data regardless of whether the cached data actually needs to be refreshed.
Furthermore, current systems provide no commonly used or widely accepted mechanism or protocol by which a web server can update cached data at times other than the planned or scheduled update times.
As a direct result of these and various other unstated factors, current web-based systems have a high level of inefficiency as well as significant bandwidth waste in connection with the caching of web-based data.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a way to address these and other deficiencies associated with the prior art.